


Emma's cupcake

by Veronica1986



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, Idiots in Love, Light Angst, Pre-Relationship, Season 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-22
Updated: 2019-07-22
Packaged: 2020-07-10 18:11:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19910032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Veronica1986/pseuds/Veronica1986
Summary: Set in season 2.After Emma and MM came back from the Enchanted Forest.Emma is dealing with all the changes in her life, including gradually realizing that what she feels for a certain prefect is a little more than just attraction.Regina is starting her way to redemption and gaining Henry's love back when she begins to see Emma Swan in a new light and realizes that perhaps they have much more in common than she thought, and that maybe, just maybe, what she Feel for the savior to be a little more than attraction.





	Emma's cupcake

**Author's Note:**

> This one shot is inspired by a cute edit I did a few weeks ago and I couldn't stop thinking about it.  
> It was supposed to be smaller and just about Emma making a cupcake to Regina to make her feel better after being accused of Archie's death but it turned a huge ass one shot and I really hope you guys enjoy it. 
> 
> Thanks Zelene for helping me out with this fic.

Emma was a mess like she hadn't been in years. The last few weeks had been completely crazy, totally and utterly unbelievable to her cetic mind. Not only had she discovered that everything Henry had been saying was true, but the things that happened would probably thrown her ass in a psychiatric hospital with padded walls and all if she dared tell anyone outside that little town.

She didn't have time to process anything because as soon as the curse broke she had to run to save Regina from the townsfolk, then she suddenly found herself fighting a soul sucker that looked like those things from Harry Potter and falling into a portal to a magic land, meeting none other than freaking fucking Mulan - her childhood heroin -, Lancelot, fucking Captain Hook, and on top of that, Regina's mom - it was too much for Emma. 

Emma’s heart pounded at the sight of Regina as soon as she and MM returned from the Enchanted Forest and the smile the brunette offered her was enough to take Emma's breath away.

They gathered at Gold’s shop so that MM could get David out of the sleep spell he had been in and then they all went home. Emma's blood boiled and her heart broke as Henry quickly dismissed Regina even after she had risked her life to save Emma and MM, even when doing so cost Regina to face one of her worst nightmares. After they went to MM’s loft she decided she would do something about what had happened. Henry couldn’t continue treating Regina like that. She had made mistakes and done unspeakable things, but she was his mother, more than Emma herself. 

Gathering the little courage she had Emma marched toward Regina's mansion, ready for an argument, for she could imagine how bruised the brunette was and she knew that Regina tended to discount her hurts through anger. She wasn’t afraid of Regina but there was something about the brunette that made Emma behave like a dreamy teenager sometimes and lower all of her walls without realizing it, like the day after they met, even if Regina was being a total bitch back then. Before Emma could figure out what she was doing, she was telling the brunette about her stupid birthday wish and how desperately she didn’t want to be alone, only for Regina to massacre her feelings the next moment. Every time they were together it was as if a fire was burning inside Emma and she wanted at the same time to punch and kiss Regina. There was something about the brunette that put Emma into action mode and made her want to challenge Regina and see how far they would go.

Emma stopped in front of the door and took a few deep breaths before finally knocking.

"Who's there?" The question came muffled by the walls and door.

"It's me, Emma."

"I have nothing to say to you, Miss Swan."

"Regina, please," Emma sighed. "I didn’t come here to fight with you."

"You should be taking care of my son, not here bothering me."

"Henry's fine, he's with David and MM." Emma rolled her eyes. "Look, I know you're hurt, but I'm not your enemy here." Emma closed one eye, waiting for the sharp answer.

"You do not know anything about me, Miss Swan." Regina hissed from the other side of the door.

"I know enough to know that you hide your pain through anger, that you have walls stronger than the-" Emma shook her head in frustration. Words were not her strength. She was the kind of person who liked practicality, the kind of person who spoke what came to mind. "I know you hate to show weakness, and I also know that a lot of bad things happened in your past, a lot of people hurt you deeply and I know you lost someone who was very important to you," Emma said softly.

There was no judgment in her voice; only an understanding that Regina never thought could really exist. How did Emma know so much about her without her ever saying anything? Regina closed her eyes and leaned her head against the door. She needed to be in control of the situation before it was too late. "I don't know what you think you know about me, Miss Swan, or who told you these things - probably your mother, honestly, that woman doesn't know how to keep her mouth shut - but I assure you it doesn't change anything."

"No one told me anything, Regina," Emma breathed. "No one needs to tell me anything because I  _ see you _ . I see in your eyes the love you have for Henry every time you just speak his name." Emma smiled dreamily. Throughout her life all she ever wanted was for someone to love her at least half of how Regina loves Henry. She felt tears gather in her eyes and a lump formed in her throat at the thought. "I'm not like you guys, we have a world of difference and maybe that's why I see more than the Evil Queen they all talk about."

"You have no idea what I've done." Regina whispered. She could feel tears streaming down her cheeks and she hated herself for it. How did Emma have that power over her? If Mother saw her now. No one has ever  _ seen _ her before, not since Daniel. 

"I have only what Henry's book says, but I was raised in the real world, Regina." Emma leaned her head against the door. "In my world, fairy tales and magic are just things to distract children, to make them sleep at night. From the world I come from, things aren't as simple as they seem and people have a lot more than what we see. Everyone has something to hide; something they fear, something that scared them, something that hurt them and sometimes it’s all of them at once. Things are grey in my world and not black and white like in yours." Emma put her hand against the door almost as if she could touch Regina through the wood. "I met your mother in the Enchanted Forest, and I can only imagine what you suffered in her hands. No offense, but that woman gives me shivers. It reminds me of some of the foster mothers I've had to deal with in my life and I'm not talking about the good ones."

_ Great _ , Regina thought. Another thing to blame herself about. Even blinded by her revenge on Snow White, there were moments when Regina caught herself thinking about what would have happened to the baby who had been put in the wardrobe within seconds of life and abandoned to her own fate. Shipped to God knows where and that just made her hatred for Snow White increase. How could she do this to a baby? Her own daughter and still be seen as a hero? Regina took a deep breath and struggled to keep out of her mind the thoughts of everything Emma might have faced in her life because of her.

She could feel her walls starting to crumble and it was terrifying. She needed to do something to gain control back, even if it meant hurting Emma when she was the only person who understood her and didn’t judge her. She took a deep breath, feeling the tears trickling down her cheeks and said; "I don't care about your stories or the things that you think you know. The choice of putting you in a wardrobe and letting you at your own fate wasn't mine. I may have done unspeakable things but I never hurt a child."

"I know," Emma said softly. She could feel Regina struggling to keep the walls around her furiously. "I don't blame you."

"You don’t?" Regina lifted her head and narrowed her eyes.

"Nope." Emma smiled softly. "As you said, the choice to leaving me to my own luck wasn't yours. That's on my- That's on MM and David."

Emma sighed and looked around, the afternoon was falling, painting the sky in shades of orange, pink and light blue and a breeze was beginning to blow, indicating that the night would be cold. She rubbed her hands in her arms instinctively and with a heavy sigh she sat on the steps in front of Regina’s door, not caring if people would pass by and see her. "You know, the townsfolk are throwing a welcome party at Granny's tonight and I'd really like you to come." Emma said, suddenly feeling like being in front of a crush and not knowing what to do. Why the hell would Regina go to a place where everyone hated and distrusted her? Why would she put herself in a position like this just because Emma asked? This was probably the stupidest thing that came out of her mouth, but there was no turning back now. She really meant it. She wanted Regina there. The brunette was the only person at that moment who kept her grounded in the real world, and if wasn’t for Regina she wouldn’t be here now.

"And why do you think I would go to a place where everyone hates me, including my son?" Regina narrowed her eyes, suddenly finding a reason to fight with Emma and push her away once and for all. It was clear that the blonde had something about her that weakened Regina's hatred and it scared her. If there was something behind Emma's words then she could finally get rid of this feeling that was taking hold of her when Emma talked to her that way. Regina hated how she knew exactly the expression on the blonde's face now. She probably had those big green eyes in her best puppy style, the corners of her mouth arched down as she wondered why in hell had she invited Regina to the welcome party knowing that it wouldn't be a good idea in the end. How could she know Emma so well when they barely had contact in the last weeks? How did she know the expressions that adorned the blonde's face in every situation? Regina threw her head back, banging against the wood with a low thud, and closed her eyes tightly, searching within herself for anything that would help her push away those thoughts and feelings.

"I know what you're thinking," Emma said when a few minutes passed and Regina said nothing. "But I really wish you'd come." She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the door, mimicking Regina. "You risked your life to save mine when you could have let me to die."

"So that's it? A debt?" Regina felt her heart clench and a pang of disappointment spread in her chest. How could she, for a minute, think that Emma really wanted her around? That Emma really cared? No one ever wanted her around.

"No, Regina." Emma closed her eyes tightly, scolding herself. Her voice was soft and with a twinge of panic. "I really want you there."

"Why are you insisting on it? What do you get out of it?"

"Nothing." Emma sighed. "A lot has happened in the last few weeks and in spite of everything you are the only person with whom I feel myself, with whom I can be myself." Emma shuddered as a stronger gust of wind passed and again she rubbed her hands in her arms to warm herself. "MM and David hope I will call them father and mother and behave like their lost child, like a child who needs their protection and can't make her own decisions. Henry expects me to be the perfect mother, the heroin, the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, but you?" Emma chuckled. "You expect nothing from me and that makes me feel comfortable enough to be myself, to make mistakes and even stick my foot in my mouth sometimes."

Accompanied by Emma's last words came a sound the blonde had never thought to hear in her life, but she was sure she would do anything to make it frequently from now on: the sound of Regina's laughter. Rich, strong and sensual, and at the same time almost forbidden. Emma felt a shiver ran through her body and this time it had nothing to do with the wind.

"That you do, Miss Swan." 

"So you're coming?" Emma asked and couldn’t hide the hope and eagerness in her voice. She definitely needed to do something about this behavior when it came to Regina. It would not take long for the brunette to notice and she would eventually pull away because that was what everyone did in Emma's life.

"I do not think that's a good idea, Miss Swan."

"It's getting cold, Regina, could you hurry up to decide?" Emma said softly, rubbing her hands in her arms. 

Regina lifted her head and stared up at the ceiling for a few seconds, biting her lower lip so hard she thought she would draw blood. She knew the best thing was to say no and stay home where it was safe. Her magic was still wonky and if she needed to defend herself she could end up in trouble if her magic didn't work. But again, there was something about Emma that weakened Regina and made her want to be closer to the blonde, even if they were fighting and she wanted to throw Emma against the nearest wall and kiss her- Regina's eyes widened at that thought. Was she really attracted to Emma? This could only be some bad joke.

She shook her head and closed her eyes and before she could avoid it, several scenes filled her mind and she remembered all the arguments she had with the blonde and how in almost all of them her wish was the same: to thrown Emma against the nearest wall and fuck her; fast and hard and take that smile off her face.  _ What a wonderful fuck! _ Regina thought. There was no way things could get worse, could they? A muffled laugh escaped Regina's throat and she felt tears streaming down her cheeks again.

Emma felt her heart pound at the sound of Regina's laughter and she knew the brunette enough to know that whatever Regina was debating with herself wasn't good.

"Regina?" Emma asked in a small, uncertain voice and it made the brunette's heart clench.

A voice screamed inside her head that she was going mad, she could hear Mother's voice, mocking her for her weakness, and another side of her, repeating that she was doing it just because of Henry. Regina took a deep breath and opened her eyes. "I'll go, Emma, I'll meet you there."

"Thanks." The relief was evident in the blonde's voice.

(...)

Emma tried to push the image of MM and David in bed away from her mind when she arrived from Regina's house. Of all the things that had happened in the past few weeks, catching her newly found parents having sex definitely wasn't on Emma's list. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, forcing herself to push those thoughts away. David's voice proposing a toast made her open her eyes and she met MM who was looking at her with an arched eyebrow. The woman had bombarded her with questions after the incident and Emma did her best to dodge them all. As soon as they toasted Granny's door opened revealing Regina holding a platter in one hand and Emma couldn't help the smile that spread through her lips. Regina had really come. "Sorry, I'm late," the brunette said in a small voice and... shy, but the smile she offered took Emma's breath away.

"You came," Emma said quietly, almost a whisper.

"What is she doing here?" Leroy asked in an accusing tone and took a knife from the counter. Emma's blood boiled and she saw red in front of her. How in hell did Leroy think he had that right? What the hell did he think he was doing with that knife?

"I invited her." Emma said firmly, but with a soft smile to Regina's and she noticed when her expression lightened slightly. Regina offered a discreet nod to Emma and she knew no one else in the place had noticed because none of them cared about her.

Before she could walk toward the brunette, Emma felt MM's hand on her arm and she and David dragged Emma to a corner. It made the blonde's blood boil and she had to fight the urge to free her arm.

"What is she doing here? Did you invite her? Why?" MM fired.

"Didn't you think to consult us?" David looked at her reprovingly.

"I don't need to consult you to invite someone to a public place, especially when that person has just saved our lives and is the mother of my son." Emma closed her free hand in a tight fist at her side.

"Regina tried to kill us!" MM accused inappropriately.

"No, she saved us. If it hadn't been for her then we would have died trying to get through that portal. What she did earlier could have resulted in her death and yet she absorbed the spell that Gold manipulated her to put into that pit so we could go back home, so don't come up with this bullshit just because you have a quarrel that’s lasted for years." Without another word, Emma left MM and David and walked to the counter where Regina was serving lasagna to the others. 

"Hey," Emma said as she stood beside Henry, but her eyes were on Regina, watching the brunette carefully. She noticed that despite appearing relaxed as Henry stood beside her as a sort of shield against anyone who might want to harm her, Regina was tense as a violin string. "I'm glad you came."

"I told you I'd come."

"Did you really invite my mom, Emma?" Henry looked at her with a smile that highlighted his dimples.

"Yes, kid." Emma ruffled his hair affectionately. "If it weren't for your mother, MM and I wouldn't have been able to cross the portal safely."

"Are you going to become friends now?" Henry narrowed his eyes and there was genuine curiosity in his voice.

"I don't know, kid." Emma looked at the brunette speculatively. "It doesn't just depend on me, but it would be nice to stop fighting with your mother. We both want what's best for you."

"So, mom?" Henry turned to Regina with a smile that seemed hopeful and the brunette looked at Emma with a look that said 'low blow' and Emma couldn't help but smile.

"Maybe I can consider a truce with Miss Swan." Regina said in a playful tone.

"That would be awesome!" Henry smiled widely. "I know I haven't been the best of the sons with you lately, but you two are my moms and I really want you to get along so we can be a family."

"Family?" Emma and Regina asked at the same time, though the blonde's voice came out almost like a squeal.

Regina looked at Emma with a hurtful look and the blonde immediately knew that she had misinterpreted her reaction.

Emma wasn't good with this family thing, she had never had one for more than a few weeks and she had no idea how this worked, not to mention that Regina was definitely the most beautiful woman she has ever seen in her life. Did Henry mean that he wanted them together as a couple or just that he liked having two moms? What would Regina think if she knew that Emma was attracted to her? Would she feel disgusted? Questions and thoughts invaded Emma's mind and she completely forgot that she was standing before Henry and Regina for a moment, until she felt the boy's hand on her arm.

"Emma, are you okay?" Henry was looking concerned at her.

"Yes, kid." Emma forced a smile. "I was just thinking about some things."

"I'd better go." Regina said suddenly, already reaching for her coat.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Emma asked softly, seeing the pain Regina tried desperately to hide and feeling even more confused. "Out there." She added when she saw Henry's curious gaze.

Regina bit her lip and considered the blonde's request for a moment, but when her eyes met Henry's she finally agreed.

They left discreetly and Regina turned to Emma, crossing her arms over her chest and waiting for her to say something.

"I know what you're thinking, but I assure you that my reaction in there had nothing to do with you, Regina."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Miss Swan." Regina said defensively.

"Emma."

"What?"

"You can call me Emma." She said softly. "If we're going to try to be friends and co-parenting Henry then it would be nice if you started calling me Emma."

"Fine. I’ll do my best to accomodate you, Em-ma."

Regina said the blonde's name slowly and sensuously and that sent chills down Emma's spine. Did she do it on purpose, just to see Emma squirm in front of her or did Regina really not realize the effect she had on her?

"That would be nice, Reggie."

"Never call me that again."

"Okay, Gina." Emma teased, a smile spreading on their lips.

"Don't even think about it, Miss Swan."

"Uh-huh. It's Emma."

"You are a child." Regina shook her head.

"You get used to it."

If Mother could see her now, Regina thought, she would be utterly disappointed, and that made a wide smile spread on the brunette's lips. She didn't want to and she didn't need to impress Cora anymore. She had become everything the woman wanted and more, and lost a lot with it, but now? Now she was about to win. She had a son and an .. Emma, who was willing to give her a real chance. The only person who believed in her and stayed by her side since the moment they met. No matter how much it frightened her, Emma was someone willing to fight for her and that made Henry want to as well, and at that moment that was all that mattered to Regina. If to have her son she needed to have Emma around, then so be it.

(...)

The next night Henry made sure that Regina invited Emma to dinner with them, and she eventually gave in to the boy's desire. Since the night before, he kept talking about how cool it was to have two moms and how wonderful it would be if they started to get along.

Regina tried to explain to him that it wasn't so simple, that Snow and David didn't share the same idea and that they would never be a big family like Henry was thinking would happen. A lot had happened between Regina and Snow so that everything would be solved like this, and adding Emma in between would only make things more complicated between them, for Snow would never believe that Regina hadn't cast a spell on the blonde and that Emma spent time with them because she simply wanted to.

Henry dismissed this and said that one day everything would be all right and that Emma was the key to it. She was the savior and would make everything okay.

Regina knew that arguing with Henry or trying to convince him otherwise when he put his mind on something was practically useless and she didn't want anything to ruin that little peace they were having, so she allowed him continue daydreaming.

She prepared her lasagna, since Emma didn't have the chance to eat it the night before because Leroy and the other dwarves decided to risk the possible poison and had eaten everything before she could try it. Regina separated a bottle of wine to accompany and made a green salad.

She wasn't sure why, but she hoped desperately for Emma to enjoy dinner.

Henry helped her prepare the dessert: chocolate cake with strawberry filling, his favorite.

The doorbell rang and Henry ran to answer the door. Regina glanced at the clock on the wall and saw that Emma was, surprisingly, on time. She smoothed her hair and clothes before joining Henry in the living room.

As soon as Henry saw the blonde, he opened the door, smiling widely at Emma. "Hi, ma."

"Hi, kid," Emma ruffled his hair affectionately and stepped inside. "Hi, Regina, you look beautiful." Emma said before she could stop herself. She felt heat spread down her cheeks and neck and avoided Regina's gaze. What Emma said was true; Regina was beautiful. But Emma hadn't meant to say it out loud. Slowly she met Regina's eyes and took in the brunette again. She wore a navy-blue dress that fit her body perfectly, marking all the right places and Emma felt her mouth watering at the sight. She felt the heat spread through her body and all her blood rushed to her core.

"You're not bad yourself, Em-ma." There it was again. The way Regina said her name and the way her pupils were dilated almost made Emma think she was teasing her, but that could not be, could she?

The blonde wore a pair of jeans, a white cacharrel, and a blue jacket. Her hair was loose and the curls adorned her face almost angelically, falling down her shoulders and back.

Henry stared at them curiously. He thought their behavior was a good sign, but being only ten he wasn't sure. "Mom made lasagna." He said, oblivious to the fire that burned in their eyes and the heat radiating from their bodies.

Henry's voice broke the bubble they were in and they looked at the boy with a smile on their lips.

"Oh, I can finally taste your lasagna."

"Mom is a wonderful cook," Henry beamed and Regina felt her heart warm.

"If the way those ungrateful dwarfs devoured your mom's lasagna is some sign, I have no doubt about it, kid."

Regina couldn't help the laughter that escaped her throat and Emma smiled proudly, feeling her heart pounding. There was that sound again. The most wonderful sound Emma had ever heard in her life so far.

"Not a fan of the dwarves?

"Not really." Emma shrugged. "Leroy is obnoxious and thinks he's better than everyone else and I hate that kind of people."

Regina was looking at the blonde with an arched eyebrow and an amused smile on her lips. If Snow White hear that, she would probably give Emma a lecture.

"Do you believe he had the audacity to go to the police station this morning accusing you of giving poisoned lasagna to him?"

"Why would he do that?" Henry asked worriedly.

"Because he ate like a starving man and got drunk upon his ass and didn't want to admit it." Emma snorted.

"Language, Miss Swan." 

"Sorry." Emma smiled sheepishly. "I'm not used to having to watch the things I say, I'll be more careful."

"Yes, well, you're a mother now." Despite the words, there was no scolding in Regina's voice, which made Emma more comfortable. "Dinner's ready, shall we?" Regina said as she walked toward the kitchen.

Henry led Emma into the dining room, which was already set up for three. Emma looked around and thought this was the most cozy, yet elegant dining room she had ever been in. Despite the size of the mansion, the place was small, which gave a more intimate touch, contrasting with the rest of the house. 

"You need me to help with anything, Regina?" Emma asked as she walked into the kitchen and felt her legs wobble with the sight before her: Regina was bending over the oven, pulling out the lasagna, ass in the air, and the tight dress left little room for imagination. "Fuck," Emma whispered.

“No, Miss Swan.” Despite Regina’s smirk at hearing Emma low curse and knowing she had affected the blonde, the brunette could feel her cheeks flushing slightly. “I have everything under control.” 

“This smells amazing, Regina.” Emma bit her lower lip. 

“Thank you, Emma.” Regina’s smile was honest and vulnerable and she scolded herself for it. “Shall we?” 

“Uh, right.” 

Regina walked to the dining room and her smile widened when Henry beamed at her. 

“You will love mom’s lasagna, Emma.” 

“I have no doubt about that, kid.” 

“Henry, did you wash your hands?”

“Yes, mom.”

Regina smiled at him and settled the dish on the table. She served a healthy portion to Emma, Henry, then herself, and before she could say, Henry was serving Emma with an equally healthy portion of salad. She laughed when Emma wrinkled her nose thinking no one was seeing and the blonde’s head snapped up, her eyes wide and her cheeks burning, looking like a teenager caught by the parents. 

“I assume salad is not your favorite food.” She smiled amusedly.

“Not really,” Emma looked at her plate and back at Regina. “But I eat them because I know its importante for our good health, don’t worry. I don’t just eat junk food.”

“It’s okay, Emma,” Regina sensed the blonde tension and fought the urge to reach for her hand to comfort her. She was still having trouble with all those mixed feelings she was having towards the blonde since she saved her from the wraith and didn’t want to delve much in this, but having Emma in her house and after everything the blonde said the other day, Regina wasn’t sure about anything anymore. 

“Holy sh- Jesus! This is delicious, Regina.” Emma said, taking the brunette out of her thoughts. “This is the best lasagna I have ever tasted.” 

“Thank you, dear.” Regina raised an eyebrow at the blonde’s curse, ready to scold her from cursing in front of Henry, but couldn’t help but smile at the blonde’s sincere words. 

Emma felt her heart beat fast at this one simple word. 

Regina felt grateful when Henry began to talk and fill the silence between then. He told Emma about the days while she and MM were trapped in the Enchanted Forest and how he and Regina worked together to bring them back, how Jefferson was now reunited with his daughter, Grace, and asked her about her time in the Enchanted Forest as well because they hadn't had the time to talk about it with MM and David around them all the time. 

“I certainly won’t miss the food,” Emma laughed. “And I never thought I would miss indoor plumbing so much, and I don’t know how you guys can  _ breath _ with those outfits.”

"Oh?" Regina raised an eyebrow at the blonde. "Did you mother make you wear one of those?" She couldn't hide her amusement, but when an image of Emma in one of those Enchanted Forest outfits crossed her mind, her pupils dilated and her eyes grew darker. 

"Honestly, Regina," Emma reached for her wine glass and took a sip. "I wouldn't wear one of those things, not even to save my life." 

"Emma, can you tell me about the time you guys were there?" Henry asked almost timidly. Something about his mothers demeanor was making him happy and relaxed. They were being friendly and he could feel that the tension had left their bodies at least for that night. 

"Uh." Emma exchanged a look with Regina, asking for permission and the brunette just nodded slightly. "So, I met Mulan, Aurora-"

"YOU'VE MET MULAN?" Henry's eyes widened and Emma and Regina laughed at his excitement. 

"And Aurora?" Regina asked amused, remembering her old friend, Maleficent. "As in the  _ sleeping beauty _ ?" 

"Yeah," Emma laughed. "She's not sleeping anymore." 

"Did you meet anyone else?" Henry asked excited, still trying to wrap his mind about the fact that one of his mothers had met Mulan. 

"I also meet Lancelot" Emma said, reaching for her wine to take another sip. "Oh, no, wait, that was your other grandma using an amazing Polyjuice spell, and I also met Captain Hook - which I must say he's nothing like that pirate from Peter Pan." She sounded almost disappointed and Regina looked at her for a moment, trying to digest everything Emma was saying. Since she and Snow had come back from Enchanted Forest they hadn't talked about the things that happened there but because of Henry's dreams she knew Cora was alive and trying to get to Storybrooke. She felt a shiver run down her spine at this thought. 

Emma noticed the change in Regina's demeanor and changed the subject slightly. She knew Henry had a lot of questions and would answer them the best way she could without lying to him but she knew by Regina's change that some topics would be discussed after Henry went to bed. 

She told Henry about the landscapes, the castle, the beanstalk, the foreign foods and how amazing Mulan was, how skilled she was and how cool was her armor.

“Mom, can we watch a movie?” Henry looked to Regina, offering her his best puppy eyes. 

“If Miss Swan-”

“Emma.” The blonde interrupted her, earning a raised eyebrow from the other woman. “I thought we had established that you would call me Emma from now on.” 

“All right, Emma.” Regina rolled her eyes. “If Emma isn’t feeling too tired for a movie then I suppose we can.” 

“I’m never too tired for a movie.” Emma grinned and Regina just rolled her eyes again.

“Awesome!” Henry smiled widely and got up from the table, placing his dish on the sink and hurrying back to Emma and Regina who looked at him with amused expressions. “Thanks, mom.” He kissed Regina’s cheek, then turned to Emma. “I’m going to settle the room for us while you guys finish here.” Without saying anything else he hurried out of the dining room.

Emma and Regina exchanged a confused, but amused look and laughed at the same time. The blonde felt her heart pound at the sound of Regina’s laugh and it was like a thousand butterflies were flying in her stomach. Regina Mills was beautiful even when displaying her anger but she was definitely breathtaking while being soft and open and laughing like this. Emma couldn’t help but think of a much younger Regina, wild and free, running through the Enchanted Forest and laughing while the wind ghosted her face. 

“Emma?” Regina called her softly, seeing the blonde had zoned out. “Are you alright?”

“I’m sorry, I was just thinking about some things…” She smiled weakly. Because of her mother Regina had endured so much pain in her life and no one seemed to understand that. She shook her head, pushing those thoughts away and trying to focus in the moment. “We should probably join Henry.” 

Regina looked at Emma for a moment studying the blonde and debating whether to push her to talk or let it go. She knew Emma was thinking about something and had questions but she wasn’t sure if they were ready to deal with this talk now so she let it go for the moment. “It’s alright, dear.” She smiled and stood up, picking their plates and putting them in the washing machine. “Let’s join our son.” 

Emma stood watching Regina while the brunette went where Henry was waiting for them. It was the first time Regina had referred to the boy as their child, and nothing in his life had ever seemed so right and so natural. Emma smiled dreamily and when Regina's voice echoed around the house calling her, she slipped out of her stunned state and followed the sound of the brunette's voice.

“Is everything okay?” Regina asked when Emma finally caught up with her. 

“Yeah,” The blonde nodded, offering a goofy smile. 

Regina led the way through the mansion and Emma stared mouth agape at the place. It was probably the third time she was there and her eyes scanned the place in awe. Henry was so lucky. If she had had half of his luck during her childhood. “Holy shit.” She cursed when they reached the room Henry had set for their movie night; it was a mini theater with large and comfortable couches, soft lights adorning the place and a mini bar with popcorn, candy, soda, root beer and everything like in an actual theater. “I’m not ever leaving this place.”

Regina chuckled and guided Emma to where Henry was waiting for them. “What you got for us, my little prince?”

“Harry Potter and the half-blood prince!” He beamed at them. “It’s our favorite, right?”

“Yes, my prince.” Regina felt tears in her eyes and her heart pounded at Henry’s gesture. He had been so distant from her in the last few months because of that damn book and now he was here, choosing their favorite movie to watch. She tentatively reached for his face and when he didn’t pull away Regina let a low sight of relief. She stroked his face gently, brushing away a few locks of brown hair from his forehead. 

Emma watched in silence, afraid to break this moment between mother and son. She absolutely loved seeing Regina with Henry and how much she loved him. Emma had no doubt that the woman would do anything for him. She felt a pang of jealousy at this realization because in all her life no one had looked at her with so much love, no one had ever cared for her the way Regina did for Henry and everyone in her life had replaced her at some point. They all left her. She fought the tears and the lump in her throat downing the rest of her wine in one long sip. 

Regina sensed the change in Emma’s mood and immediately turned to look at the blonde, searching her eyes for an answer. Emma shook her head slightly, indicating that they wouldn’t discuss this now and Regina nodded softly. She saw the turmoil and the pain in Emma’s eyes and wondered why. For the first time since they had met Regina felt an urge to put Emma in a hug and comfort her for whatever reason but she didn’t. 

“Moms,” Henry’s voice and curious gaze took them out of their little moment and both women smiled at him. “Let’s sit so we can start the movie.” 

They chose a farther seat and settled, slowly getting comfortable while the initial images started to show on the big screen. 

Emma and Regina let the movie involve them and forget about all their problems and everything that happened in the last few weeks. 

The mini theater was cozy, with seats bigger than those in an actual theater, willing the little family to sit together. Half way through the movie Henry had paused so they could catch their dessert and Emma and Regina took another glass of wine, enjoying the comfortable silence between them during this moment of peace. 

When the movie ended Henry was fast asleep with his head on Regina’s lap and his foot on Emma’s. 

“Do you need help carrying him upstairs?” Emma whispered, not wanting to wake the boy. 

Regina considered for a moment and then nodded slightly. “He’s so big, I don’t think I can carry him all the way without waking him up.” 

Emma knew it was a lie but she didn’t care right now. She was too happy at the prospect of carrying their son and putting him in bed with Regina. Emma put her glass of wine aside and after a few attempts, she finally found a position to take Henry in her arms without waking him. 

Regina led the way to his bedroom and caught his pjs to change him. She and Emma tuck him in and kissed his forehead. Regina turned his bedside lamp on before closing the door and led Emma downstairs again. 

They stood awkwardly in the living room, not wanting to this moment to end but not knowing how to prolong it either. 

“So…” Emma shifted from one foot to another. 

“How would like a glass of the best apple cider you ever tasted?” Regina said before she could stop herself. 

“Absolutely.” Emma grinned and both women let a sigh of relief. 

Regina led them to her study, like she did the night Emma arrived in town but this time she wasn’t feeling threatened by the blonde’s presence. She filled their glasses and sat in the other end of the same couch Emma was. “So, you said you met my mother during the time you were in the Enchanted Forest.” Regina licked her lips, her eyes troubled and vulnerable. Since Aurora told Henry that her mother was trying to get to Storybrooke and Emma mentioned meeting Cora she couldn’t stop thinking about it. Mother was supposed to be dead, Regina had seen Cora in the coffin, she hadn’t been breathing. Her mind kept replaying the events of another life, a long time ago when she had asked Captain Hook to kill her mother and he had assured her the service was done. How could she had been so stupid? How could she believe that Cora wouldn’t turn that on her favor? She shook her head and looked at Emma. The blonde was looking at her expectantly but there was something in her eyes, almost as if she could see the pain and fear inside Regina. 

“Yes,” Emma said, giving the brunette an encouraging smile. 

“When you and your mother were trapped there, Aurora told Henry that my mother was trying to find a way to come to Storybrooke.” Regina took a sip of her cider and her eyes flicked nervously to the window. “Do you know how she intended to do it? If she had any chance of success?” 

“From what Hook said, she would use the ashes of the wardrobe that brought me here, but she also needed a compass. MM and I used the compass to go back, so I guess she has no way to get here anymore.”

Regina raised an eyebrow at the way Emma talked about Killian Jones, a pang of fear and jealousy overtaking her. She had mixed feelings and thoughts when it came to Emma Swan that this was beginning to annoy her. “So, you met Killian, too.” 

It wasn’t a question and Emma looked at the brunette for a moment. Her jaw was clenched and flexing under her skin, her free hand was in a tight fist beside her body and her eyes were sparkling dangerously. She did not know exactly the reason for this reaction, and for a moment she wondered if it was jealousy, but a woman like Regina Mills would never be interested in someone like her. She took a long sip of her glass of cider and thought for a moment before answering Regina’s question. “I met him, yes. Hook said he would help us get the compass if we agreed to bring him along so he could finally get revenge on Gold.”

“Did you bring the pirate with you?” Regina’s eyes widened. 

“No, Regina.” Emma leaned forward. “In the end, he was just trying to trick us so he and your mom could get here. They almost succeed though.”

“What do you mean?” 

“Hook stole Aurora's heart and handed it to your mom, and with that they managed to trap us in the cell that MM and David kept Gold-” 

“But not even Gold as the Dark One managed to escape from that cell. How did you do this?”

“Turns out that there was magic squid ink in the cell.”

“Squid ink?” Regina narrowed her eyes. “Why did Rumple never use it to escape then?” 

“He wanted to come to our world, maybe.” Emma shrugged. “Look, I have no idea why he never used it but he’s crazy so…” 

“Indeed he is,” Regina chuckled. 

“Anyways, he had written my name in a leaf, like a parchment, and MM blew the paint in the air, destroying his prison gate.” Emma smiled at the memory. “Then we hurried to the lake where they would open the portal to Storybrooke, we fought them, and for someone who only has one hand Hook is very good with the sword. In the end it all worked out. Mulan got Aurora's heart back, I hit Hook in the head with the compass, your mother couldn’t tear my heart out-”

“My mother what?” Regina eyes widened and for a millisecond she lost her composure and her voice faltered, almost in a squeal. Immediately images of Cora tearing Daniel’s heart out and crushing it in front of her invaded her mind, bringing back the pain of losing Daniel and now this pain was even worse because she had to say goodbye to him again a few days ago, this time, forever. 

“Yeah, pretty scary thing to do.” Emma still didn’t understood what had happened there. She meant to talk to Gold about this but since the subject came now she figured out that talking about this with Regina would be better. “She was going to take MM heart to  _ give it to you _ but despite everything, I couldn’t let her do that so, when she lifted her hand to MM chest I pushed her out of the way and so your mom ended up trying to take my heart but she couldn’t take it out of my chest.” Emma shrugged. “She said that  _ love is weakness _ and it might be in some occasions but I know that love is also strength, so when she said that and tried to take my heart out I told her that love was strength and something weird happened. She was stopped by something inside me, by... “ Emma couldn’t bring herself to say the words. Everything still seemed a bit crazy for her and she couldn’t process all that had happened. Since the curse had broken events were becoming more and more crazy and she could not think straight. All the things that happened in the last few weeks were too much for Emma's skeptical mind and she was having trouble processing everything. Sometimes she kind of hoped to wake up in a hospital or something and realize all of this had been a dream, maybe she was in a coma somewhere after leaving Henry at Regina's house that night.

“By magic…” Regina whispered. Her eyes searched Emma’s and she felt her heart pounding in her chest. Emma had magic, of course Emma had magic. She was the product of true love, the light, the savior. 

“But magic is something bad, isn’t it?” Emma’s eyes were big and vulnerable and there was no judgment in her voice, just genuine curiosity. “I mean… look what magic did to you and Gold.”

“It's not always like that, Emma.” Regina took a deep breath before continuing. This talk was going differently from what she expected but everything with Emma was always like this, unpredictable. “Rumple let the power dominate him and I let my pain dominate me. He manipulated me, he used me to get here and I still don’t know why but he’s up to something.” 

“That’s why he brought magic to Storybrooke?”

“I think so, but it also has to do with his thirst for power. Rumple is nothing without power, without his magic.”

“What is he exactly?” Emma asked, her big green eyes were glowing with genuine curiosity, and although she still thought it was all crazy, Emma wanted to know more about all of this, more about Regina. 

Regina was a strong and mysterious woman, but at the same time vulnerable and all Emma wanted was to show her how special Regina was. How incredible. Emma did not know why Regina had become the Evil Queen, but after meeting Cora, she was sure there was something heavy in Regina's past.

“He’s the Dark One.” Regina said after a moment. She couldn’t help but watch Emma’s every move, every action. She still didn’t know where would be their limit line in this conversation but she was willing to share a few things with Emma. After everything she had been through she learned to read people well and she could see that the blonde meant no harm right now. She was curious and confused and if Rumple realized this he could end up using and manipulating Emma to do whatever he was planning, and he could destroy Emma just as he had destroyed her and Regina could not let that happen. “He’s one of the most powerful sorceresses from all realms, from all times. I am powerful but I’m nothing compared to him.” 

“He’s like a wizard or something?” 

“Something like that, dear,” Regina chuckled. “From what I know, the Dark One absorbs all the previous Dark Ones’ powers, they are able to make practically anything and they also have visions from the future.” 

“Henry’s book only shows the  _ heroes _ stories, their side of the story and it’s very biased.” Emma sighed. “I would like to know more about you, Regina. I know that you didn’t become the  _ Evil Queen _ because Snow White was prettier, I mean you’re breathtaking, so I know that is not the reason but you are Henry’s mother and through him we are connected forever so if we want this to work we need to be honest with each other.” She was being completely honest and hoped the brunette would believe her. She locked eyes with Regina, trying to convey all honesty about her question. “I know we will not share our secrets, pains and regrets overnight but we need to start somewhere.” Emma put down her glass and looked at Regina again, she could see the brunette holding her breath and debating internally whether to keep this conversation going or not. “I said it yesterday and I’ll say it again; I’m not your enemy here, Regina.” 

Regina studied Emma for a moment, taking in all her words and her expression, the way the blonde was looking at her, open and vulnerable, just like the day she brought Henry home for the second time and told Regina about her birthday wish. “I know, Emma.” Regina sighed. From all people, Emma was one of the most unexpected allies she could have. “But I'm not sure what to share with you right now, what to tell you. There are many things that happened in my past…” Regina faltered slightly. She looked at Emma for a moment, wondering where to start, and then remembered what Emma had said, about her having lost someone important and maybe, just maybe, she could start there. “Like you said yesterday, I lost someone… someone I loved deeply.”

Emma’s eyes widened slightly when Regina began to talk. Deep down she didn’t believe the woman would open up with her. She nodded encouragingly and did her best to control her heart beat. Emma knew from experience that Regina was one of the most intense people in the world and she was bracing herself for whatever the brunette was about to share with her because Emma knew that everything would change after that. 

“His name was Daniel and he worked at the stables in my mother’s property,” Regina took a deep breath. “He was sweet and caring and honest and at the same time strong. He was good, but Mother would never let me live my love story with him. She wanted me to become queen, but I never wanted it, I never wanted this life.” Regina felt tears gathering in her eyes and closed them tightly, trying to prevent them to fall. She didn’t want to cry in front of Emma. When she opened her eyes again, the blonde was looking at her and waiting patiently but no judgment or any other negative reaction was displayed in Emma’s eyes. Just an understanding that Regina never thought anyone could have when it came to her. “Daniel was the first and only person who made me believe in true love, but I ought to had known better that such a thing was not reserved for someone like me, not with a mother like Cora. She always said that a person's trajectory should be ascending and would never accept my relationship with Daniel. It would ruin all her plans and the years she spent molding me to be the perfect lady, a Queen.” Regina stopped and thought for a moment whether to continue or not, she knew the next part of her story would change everything between them and possibly between Emma and her parents too. She was deeply conflicted about this. It was as if something had broken inside her and Regina simply could not contain her words. She hated that Emma had this effect on her, but in the end Regina was tired of fighting alone, of being alone. As unexpected as it was, Emma understood her and saw her beyond what Henry's book said about her. They had bad times and fought a few times, but even then Emma was willing to give her a chance. When the curse had broken, Regina thought that Emma would hate her and that she would be the first person to want her gone, but once again the blonde surprised her, standing by her side and doing everything to keep her safe. Emma risked her life to save Regina from the specter and thus ended up trapped in the Enchanted Forest, not knowing if she could return, but Emma never blamed her for what had happened that night.

They quarreled when Henry ate the poisoned apple pastry and Emma woke up from the curse, but she still did not accuse Regina of anything, just questioned her if everything Henry had told her was true.

“You don’t need to continue if you’re not feeling comfortable.” Emma said softly, seeing the turmoil in the brunette’s eyes. Without realizing it, they had moved on the couch and were sitting close together. Emma could feel the warmth of Regina's body and it made her swallow hard. “This must be a hard memory for you.” 

“It is,” Regina took a deep breath, and look into Emma’s eyes. “While you were at the Enchanted Forest I agreed to see Archie, for Henry’s sake and mine, but I want to talk with you. You are the first person who is giving me a choice. You did not demand anything and this is something I never had in my life. Like you said, if we're going to try to make it work between us, then we'll have to be honest with each other, but you must understand, the things I'm about to reveal to you, will change everything between us.”

“While we were in the Enchanted Forest, we ended up going to the castle that MM and David lived before the curse because MM intended to use the wardrobe so we could go back, and she showed me my nursery. Although that would be any child's dream, including mine,  _ I know _ I would never have adapted to that life. I would have only disappointed my parents because I could never be the princess they expected.” Emma shook her head, the images of her nursery still fresh in her mind. It was a beautiful and loving place, but it wasn’t her. That place was something her mother had dreamed about but deep down Emma knew she would never fit there. 

“I-” Regina bit her lip, trying to fight her tears and the hate for herself. “I never wanted to separate you from your family, Emma. I did not know your parents had planned to put you in a wardrobe and send you to God knows where.”

“It’s not your fault. It was their choice, Regina.” Emma reached for the brunette’s hand instinctively. 

Their eyes locked in a silent conversation and they felt as if they were diving into each other’s secrets, darkness, pains. 

Regina felt her heart pounding and remembered the night Emma saved her from the wraith, when the blonde touched her and Jefferson’s hat finally worked. She still didn’t know what that meant but knowing Emma had magic at least put some things to rest now. She didn’t want to overthink the possibilities of that. Emma’s eyes were so open and vulnerable and honest that Regina felt she could dive and drown in them forever. 

A noise outside broke them from the moment and Regina shook her head to clear her thoughts. Regina brought her glass to her mouth only to realize it was empty. She took the opportunity to put some distance between her and Emma because she was starting to feel overwhelmed by the intensity in the blonde’s eyes. Regina stood up and walked to her counter to fill another glass of cider for herself and tried to remember what she was telling Emma before that moment. She sighed and turned to face the blonde once more. “In the Enchanted Forest women were to be married as soon as possible, and if you were sixteen or eighteen without a husband, well... it was not very well accepted by society, especially among the nobles. My father was royalty, a Count, but that was never enough for my mother. Meeting Snow White was not an act of destiny, no. The King's wife had died a few years ago, and my mother saw the perfect opportunity for me to become Queen. She used some spell on Snow's horse to get him out of control, putting her life at stake. My mother knew that Snow would be riding near our lands that afternoon and made our paths intersect. When Snow passed me on her uncontrolled horse, I immediately rode Rocinante and followed her. It did not take much for me to save her, I was an excellent rider.” Regina’s smile was bittersweet as the memory of that life changing day invaded her. 

Emma was listening with rapt attention and something inside her twisted when Regina talked about the marrying part. She knew she wouldn’t like what would come next but she sensed it was something very important to Regina and probably something no one knew. She carried this for so long and had no one to share, to comfort her, to understand her. Emma’s hand closed in a tight fist at her side and she braced herself for the next part. 

Regina saw Emma’s hand forming a tight fist at her side and took a deep breath. She hopped the blonde wouldn’t hate her or be disgusted with what she was about to tell her. “After I saved Snow my mother arranged to meet the King. He came to our house with the excuse of thanking me for saving Snow, and asked for my hand in marriage. Before I could say no, my mother agreed. That night I ran to the stables and told Daniel what had happened and asked him to marry me, to run away with me, because only then could we live together and I would not have to marry an old King. Daniel accepted and took a ring he was saving to ask me to marry with when the time was right and then we kissed; out of nowhere Snow appeared in the stable and saw us. She ran off and I followed her, I could not let her tell my mother.”

Emma felt anger bubbling in her chest at what Regina was telling her. She was right about Cora and what she presumed about the woman, but she was much worse than Emma could ever imagine. She felt tears welling up in her eyes and running down her cheeks and didn’t even bother to try and stop them. She was so pissed off right then that she could kill someone with her bare hands. Their stories were so much alike. Memories of foster parents sneaking in her bedroom crossed her mind and Emma fought a wave of nausea. 

“Your mother was a princess, a spoiled child who always had everything handed to her, including the unconditional love of her parents. When I finally reached her, she said,  _ "Why were you kissing that man in the stable? You were going to marry my father, become my mother." _ Regina gave a humorless laugh and Emma could feel all her pain in that moment. "All that ungrateful brat knows about love, true love, I taught her!" Regina barked. "And she destroyed mine. I trusted her, but I should have known better than to trust a child. Your mother wasn't the only one responsible for my misery, I know that now, but back then..." Regina shook her head. "My mother manipulated her to tell my secret and your naive mother did just that. She told Cora about Daniel. She told her everything."

Emma was shaking with anger and she could feel a warmth spreading through her body, concentrating on her hands but she wasn't sure what that meant. She felt some kind of tingle at the tip of her fingers and took a deep breath, whatever it was, she would have to deal with it later, now Regina needed her. It was probably the first time in years that Regina was finally talking about this with someone and Emma knew this feeling better than anyone. To finally let something that hurt you so deep go, to share its weight with someone who will understand you without judgment. 

"A few nights later, Daniel and I were ready to run away, we were leaving the stables when my mother showed up. She was so mad... I think I had never seen my mother so angry before and I was afraid, but Daniel stood beside me encouraging me and I faced her. Or at least I thought I was doing it. I was not as naive as Snow, but naive enough in my seventeen years to believe that my mother would finally leave her thirst for power aside and let me live my life, make my own choices.”

Emma licked her lips, putting her glass on the table in front of them. She knew Regina’s story was much more than Henry’s book and heavier than she thought but Emma never thought it would be this heavy. Regina was being raw and honest with her like Emma never believed they could be and all she wanted was to hold the brunette in her arms and let her cry all she’d been holding all those years but Emma knew better. If Regina wanted some kind of comfort from her, she should let the brunette take the first step, even if they never talked about this again. There were so many thoughts and memories running in her head right now that Emma felt a little dizzy and she knew it had nothing to do with their drinks. She felt the tingle in her body again and took a deep breath, trying to calm her heart and thoughts.

After regaining her composure, Regina looked at Emma and found the big green eyes even more open and vulnerable. She saw the hatred and turmoil in them and for a moment she considered saying nothing else, but she had already come so far that stopping now wouldn't do them any good. "My mother approached us menacingly, but something that Daniel or I said made her change her approach and suddenly she became soft and regretful, saying that she only wanted the best for me, and she drove Daniel away from me only a few paces away, saying that she wanted to teach him how to be a good father, and then she reached into his chest and took his heart. I ran to him and held him in my arms, but I was powerless against my mother. I had no magic then and hated when she used it. My mother crushed Daniel's heart before me as I held him in my arms." Regina took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment. She had talked about this with Maleficent, but it was different back then. The witch had tried to persuade her to let her revenge aside and that only made her angrier. Regina wiped her tears and put her glass on the table, folding her hands in her lap. "She didn't let me mourn for him, she didn't give me time to grief, instead, the next day she made me try my wedding dress and we set off to the King's castle.” 

Emma had never seen Regina so raw and vulnerable and this made her imagine the girl who had her first love murdered in front of her and had to marry a man more than twice her age because her mother was a power-hungry madwoman and did not care about anyone but herself. Tentatively Emma reached out and took Regina's hands, caressing softly as the brunette wept in silence, finally letting the weight of her pain and hate run free through her body in a different way than she had done for years. 

Slowly Regina leaned toward Emma and snuggled against her side, feeling the blonde's arm around her shoulders as Emma pulled her closer, comforting her like no one else had ever done. Everything inside Regina said that she was going crazy and that she should pull away immediately, she could hear Mother's voice scolding her for being so weak, for lowering her walls to the enemy, but Emma's soft, steady voice echoed in her mind;  _ I'm not your enemy, Regina. _ And she allowed herself to believe that for one night. For her’s and Henry's sake.

Emma could not tell how long they stayed that way, but when Regina's breathing settled and she began to snore softly, Emma knew that a long time had passed. Carefully she took the mayor in her arms and stood up, walking up the stairs with the ease of the accustomed one. She remembered the day of the fire, when she had carried Regina into her arms for the first time and smiled.

Emma thanked her silently as she reached the hallway and noticed that the door to Regina's room was open. Gently she placed the brunette on the bed and removed her shoes, setting her on the mattress and covering her with the soft duvet.

Emma sat on the edge of the bed, watching Regina for a few moments and without realizing it, reached out and stroked the brunette's face, removing a few strands of hair that covered her features. Regina was undoubtedly the most beautiful woman Emma had ever known, but not just that. She was strong, independent, badass, and loved intensely. Emma sighed, remembering everything Regina had told her and felt the anger bubbling in her chest. She wanted to be able to go back in time and prevent it from happening, but she knew she could not. "Good night, Regina, sleep well." Emma whispered, and before she could get up, she felt the brunette's hand gripped her wrist gently.

Regina opened her eyes and looked at Emma for a moment. Only the moonlight lit up the room and it made a play of light and shadow on the blonde's face, and at that moment Regina allowed herself to find Emma Swan breathtaking, not caring what that meant. "Stay," she said softly, still gripping Emma's wrist. "It's late and you drank, it's not smart to drive around. Besides, you're the sheriff, it would not be good if somebody saw you driving intoxicated around town."

There was a lot more behind those words and Emma knew it, but she would not think about it now. In fact, she was grateful that Regina had asked her to stay because Emma did not know what would happen if she went back to MM’s house now and had to deal with her. Emma was considering sleeping in her car or even at Granny’s B&B, but she did not want to have to explain to Granny or Rubes why she was avoiding the loft. Emma looked around, considering Regina's words, and for a moment she felt panic overpower her. Did Regina want to tell her to share the bed with her or was there a guest room in the mansion? There was probably one, but Emma did not want to assume anything. "I- uh..."

"There's a guest room between mine and Henry's, you can sleep there. The covers are clean and there's a hygiene kit in the bathroom." Regina said softly and Emma wondered if she could read minds.

"Okay," Emma smiled and stood up. 

"Thank you," Regina said softly before Emma closed the door. 

The blonde looked at her and nodded, smiling warmly at her. 

(...)

Emma grunted as the sound of her cell phone ringing brought her out of a rather pleasant dream and covered her face with the pillow, as if she could keep the noise away. She let it ring until it was off, but the next thing it started playing again and Emma gave up on ignoring it. "Fine," she grunted as she picked up the phone. "What?"

"Ems? It's Ruby."

"Uh, hey, Rubes." Emma opened her eyes and looked around slowly. Her head ached slightly and she felt a little dizzy, but incredibly she was not feeling the hangover that she thought would wait for her the next day. "What's up?"

"It's Archie ..."

"What about Archie?"

"He is dead."

"What?" Emma sat down on the mattress quickly and regretted it at the same moment. "Oh, shit." She put her hand on her forehead and took a deep breath. "What happened?"

"I do not know, Em." Ruby sighed. "But I might have a suspect."

"Who?" Emma frowned. No one in town would have reason to hurt or kill Archie.

"Regina."

"Impossible," Emma said quickly.

"I saw her walk into his office last night when I was closing Granny's."

"I'm telling you, Rubes, it's impossible."

"But I know what I saw, Emma."

"It was not her." Emma said adamantly. She could not tell Ruby that she spent the night talking to Regina, and even less that she had slept in the brunette's house, even though she knew Ruby would understand.

"Emma, I know you want to believe that Regina is no longer the Evil Queen and I also know you have a crush on her, but I know what I saw and I saw Regina coming into Archie's office last night."

Emma closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Ruby's charge did not make sense. Emma had put Regina in bed by two in the morning and the brunette was off, emotionally exhausted and probably more drunk than Emma had been, considering she had drank more. 

"What time was that?"

"About ten o'clock last night."

"It could not have been Regina because she was with Henry last night and unless she has a twin sister, it was not her." Emma snorted irritably. "I'll be there in 20 minutes." Emma hung up before Ruby could say anything else. Reluctantly, Emma got up and walked to the bathroom to do her morning hygiene, and when she reached the kitchen, she found Regina preparing breakfast. Her stomach made a strange flip and Emma felt as if butterflies were flying in her stomach, but she forced that feeling out. She had more important things to do than to think of butterflies in her stomach because of the most beautiful woman she had ever seen in her life.

"Good morning, Emma." Regina said, turning around with a coffee mug and handing it to the blonde.

"Good morning, Gina." Emma smiled sheepishly.

"Do not call me that."

"It's cute."

"I'm not cute, I'm the Evil Queen," Regina huffed. 

"No, you're not." Emma said firmly and there was a fire in her eyes that sent chills down Regina's spine. "Look, I have to go to the station, something happened..." Emma took a deep breath and leaned against the kitchen counter. "Someone killed Archie last night." 

Regina's eyes widened and her lips parted in surprise. "Who could have done that?"

"That's the problem." Emma shifted from one foot to another. "Ruby saw someone that looked like you entering his office, but the time she's saying that happened I was here, with you." 

"So, you don't believe her?" Regina looked small and vulnerable and again Emma wanted to hug her. 

"Of course not, Regina." Emma said firmly. "Unless you have some evil twin we don't know about, someone is trying to set you up and I will find out who."

"There is only one person in this town who would kill to get what he wants and would do anything to frame me." 

"Gold," Emma whispered. "But why would he do that?"

"Revenge." Regina sighed. "I kept Belle locked in the psych ward for the entirity of the curse, after telling Rumple that she was dead. He brought magic to Storybrooke to take revenge on me, he brought the specter here to destroy me, but he failed both times and Rumple is not the kind of person to accept defeat."

As soon as Emma walked into the station she looked at Ruby in disbelief. "Did you call them?" She pointed at David and MM. "I can't believe this."

"I'm sorry, Em, but I-"

"Don't even finish that sentence." Emma said through gritted teeth. "We're not in the Enchanted Forest and they have no authority here. I'm still the Sheriff of this town and Regina is still the Mayor, whether you like it or not."

"Regina killed Archie." MM accused.

"No, she didn't."

"Ruby said she saw her coming into his office last night."

"And I'm saying she wasn't there. Whoever did it, did it to frame her."

"It would not be the first time..." MM sighed. "The list of people that might be out to get her is big in this town."

"But only one person has magic for such a thing."

"Gold." MM, David and Ruby said at the same time.

"You stay here, I'll talk to Gold." Emma started to walk before one of them could say anything, but soon MM and David were at her side.

"You can't go alone, he's dangerous." MM said, walking quickly to follow Emma's stride.

"I can handle myself."

(...)

Emma stormed into Gold's pawn shop, her eyes glowing with fury. She felt the tingle in her body again and wondered what the hell it was, but right now she couldn't stop to think about it. She needed to prove Regina was innocent. 

Gold turned with a raised eyebrow and looked at Emma. He felt magic emanating from her in waves and smirked. "Nothing warms the heart more than a family reunited. You have your mother's chin, Ms. Swan." 

"We know that you killed him." Emma put her hands on her pants pockets. 

"And your father's tact."

"Someone's dead?" Belle moved closer to the group. 

"Dr. Hopper." 

"Why on earth would you think I had anything to do with that?" 

"Because all the evidence points to Regina." Emma hissed. 

"And she's not possibly capable of doing something so vile?" Belle said, moving towards Gold. 

"It's a frame job." Emma said firmly. 

"It wouldn't be the first time you used someone to try to hurt her." MM crossed her arms in front of her chest. 

"Nice to see your memories still intact, dearie, but this time, I'm afraid I'm gonna have to disappoint you. It wasn't me."

"Why should we believe you?"

"Because I can prove it. Ask the witness." Gold smirked and Emma wanted to take that smirk off his face. 

"No one was there."

"Well, that's not strictly true, now is it?"

"This is craziness." Emma shook her head, but she had to try.

A few moments later David walked in again, this time bringing Pongo in his leash. 

"Good boy." Gold knelt before the dog and stroked his ear.

"I, uh, I didn't know you were such a dog person." Belle said kinda in awe, and Emma just rolled her eyes. 

"Well, a long time ago, in another life, I got to know a sheepdog or two."

"That's fascinating. But unless you speak dog, how is Pongo gonna tell us anything?" Emma was starting to lose her patience and she just wanted to go back to Regina's house, to her son and his other mother. She had felt so welcome there last night, it had felt so right to be there with them, to share all those moments, all those secrets. It scared the shit out of Emma, but she had never felt so safe. 

"Through magic, of course." Gold said, pulling Emma out off her thoughts. "It won't allow us to communicate, but it will allow us to extract his memories."

"Extract?" David asked alarmed. 

"You don't have to worry. He won't feel a thing."

"Why should we trust you? Couldn't you just as easily use magic to fool us?" MM looked at the man with an arched eyebrow. 

"Because I'm not gonna be the one using magic." He turned to Emma and offered her an smiled that sent chills down her spine. "You are."

"Me? How?" 

"You have it within you." He smiled triumphantly. "I felt it as soon as you walked through that door, Miss Swan." 

David looked from Emma to MM then to Gold, concern all over his face. 

"Magic is emotion, Miss Swan," Gold walked toward his safe wall and caught a dream catcher. "And your emotions are on edge right now, aren't they?"

"Emma, you don't have to do this." MM said, alternating her gaze between the people in the room. 

"If it tells us something about Archie's death, so be it."

"Now, do you know what this is?" Gold asked Emma. 

"A dream catcher."

"Well It's capable of catching so much more than dreams." He slid the dream catcher's feathers over Pongo and the object glowed yellow.

"What is that?" Emma looked suspiciously at the man.

"Memories." Gold stood up and handed the dream catcher to Emma. "Now Ms. Swan you show us how."

"How?" Emma frowned. 

"It's just a jumble." Gold rolled his eyes. "Will it. Will it, and we shall all see."

"I can't." Emma held the dream catcher before her, trying to concentrate on how to extract Pongo's memories.

"Yes, you can." Gold said firmly. 

"Emma, you're doing it." MM smiled. 

Soon images from the previous night began to form in the web of the dreamcatcher, showing them the moment when Regina was reportedly in Archie's office.

When the therapist opened the door, revealing Regina, Pongo began barking and acting strange and Emma immediately noticed that something was off. Pongo knew Regina, there was no reason for him to bark at her, or act the way he was acting.

“There’s something wrong.” Emma whispered.

“Yes, like why would Regina kill Archie when he didn’t do anything to her.” MM sniffed.

“It’s not her.” Emma said slowly, still watching Pongo’s memories. “He knows Regina, he wouldn’t bark at her or behave like this.” 

“Emma, I know you want to believe Regina can change but you don’t know her the way we do.” MM said softly but in a way that made Emma’s blood boil. 

“That's the problem. I know in your kingdom, she was the Evil Queen, but here, she's Regina. And I'm still the Sheriff, and I say she's innocent.” Emma crossed her arms over her chest and looked challenging at her parents. 

Gold watched amusedly, and saved Emma’s behavior to think about it later. “Now that you already know I didn't kill him, please leave.” He gestured to the trio with his cane. 

“I know you didn’t kill Archie, but don’t think we’re done here.” Emma said before turning and leaving the pawn shop without waiting for her parents. She needed to get to Regina and talk to her about what happened. 

“Emma, wait!” MM called her but the blonde didn’t stop. 

(...)

Emma entered the bug and started driving around town replaying the images from the dream catcher in her head. If it wasn’t Gold or Regina, then who had that kind of magic, that kind of power in town to change their appearance? And who would kill Archie from all people just to frame Regina? It didn’t make any sense. She was pulled out of her thoughts by her cellphone’s ringtone. She glanced at the device and a smile spread on her lips at Regina’s name flashing on the screen. “Hey,” She said softly. “I just left Gold’s shop and was heading toward your house to talk to you.”

_ “Do you know what happened?” _

“All I know is that you didn’t do it.” Emma sighed. “and that Gold is not our guy either.” 

_ “Then whom?”  _

“I honestly don’t know, Regina. But I will find out what happened and who’s trying to frame you.” Emma said firmly. “I think it’s best if we talk to Henry together before someone else does.”

_ “Okay.”  _

“I’ll be there soon.”

(...)

In a few minutes Emma was standing at Regina’s door again, her hands in tight fists. Her mind was spinning trying to think who could have done this but so far not even a single name had appeared in her mind. “Hi,” She said when Regina opened the door. 

“Hello, Emma.” The brunette smiled and let her enter. She led the way to her study once again and they sat facing each other. 

Emma told Regina about the images from Pongo’s memories and about his behavior and in the end the brunette was lost as Emma. She knew that many people in that town wanted to see her dead or imprisoned, but she had no idea of other magical beings beyond her, Gold, the fairies and now Emma, living in Storybrooke.

"Where's Henry?"

"In his bedroom." Regina sighed. "Do you really think it's a good idea to talk to him about what happened?"

"If we don't do it someone will, and they will poison Henry against you. I can not allow this to happen."

Regina nodded, feeling uneasy about this conversation, but Emma was right; if anyone else told Henry about Archie's death he would turn against her again and she couldn't handle this feeling. 

When they reached Henry's room he was lying on his bed flipping through the pages of his storybook. 

"Hey, kid." Emma put her hands in her pockets.

"Henry," Regina said softly, but he could feel she was tense. 

The boy sat and looked at his mothers. Something was wrong. He could feel the tension coming from them and he narrowed his eyes. "What's wrong?"

Emma exchanged a nervous look with Regina and the brunette walked to his bed. "Something really bad happened to someone you like last night, sweetheart." Regina said slowly, looking at Emma before continuing. 

"What happened? Are David and MM okay?"

"Yes, they are good, kid." Emma smiled weakly. "But Archie..."

"What happened to him?" 

"Someone killed him, Henry." Regina held her breath, waiting for the accusation. 

"We wanted you to hear it from us," Emma said when Regina remained silent, just looking at Henry. "Someone is trying to frame your mother, kid, but I will not let that happen."

"I do not understand," Henry looked from Regina to Emma, confusion evident in his face.

"The person who killed Archie made it look like it was Regina, but I can assure you it was not her," Emma looked at the brunette in a silent question if she could tell about last night and the brunette nodded slightly. "Last night, after we put you to bed, your mother and I kept talking, getting to know each other better, since we'll see each other more often as you suggested. We drank and talked until late and so I know it was not your mother who did it."

"But who would do that to hurt my mom? Do they not realize that they hurt me too? I know she's trying to change and she's working hard for it and she wouldn't do this now that she has you and me."

"I know, kid." Emma sighed and knelt beside his bed. "And I will do anything to prove your mother's innocence." 

"Thank you, Emma." Regina and Henry said at the same time. 

She smiled at them and felt her heart pounding at how right that felt. They were her family, small and broken, but hers and she would do anything to protect them. An idea popped in her mind and she looked at Regina expectantly. 

"What now, Emma?"

"I was thinking..." Emma licked her lips. "There's someone out there, trying to frame you and we don't know who this person is or how strong they are, it would be nice if we could cast some spell in the house to protect you and Henry."

"But such a spell would only protect us while we're inside." Regina bit her lip in thought. "But I know of a spell that can protect us anywhere."

"Great!" Emma said excitedly. 

"But you will have to be the one to cast it. We do not know who the person behind this is and if they have any direct connection to me, my magic may be ineffective against them."

"But Emma doesn't have magic." 

"I do, kid." 

"How?"

"Seriously, Henry?" Regina couldn't help but laugh. Her son was the biggest believer, adamant about fairy tales and true love and all that and he didn't think Emma would have magic? "Your mother is the savior, the product of true love."

"Oh..." His eyes widened and he took a moment to let Regina's words sink in. "That's awesome!" He stood on the mattress and stared at Emma.

"I thought you didn't like magic," Emma narrowed her eyes. 

"I don't like it when people use magic to hurt people, like Mr. Gold does, or like mom used to do in the past, but I know that there's light magic too, it’s in the book!" He said excitedly and both women couldn't help but smile. "Mom is trying to change so maybe her magic can change too, plus she can teach you how to use your powers." 

"Whoa, kid," Emma laughed nervously. "One thing at time, okay? Now I need to find who's trying to frame your mother and protect you guys." She looked at Regina and put a hand on her shoulder tentatively. "Can you teach me how to cast this protection spell you mentioned?"

"Of course, Emma." Regina smiled, feeling the warmth of Emma's touch calm her. "Henry, you can come with us if you want, but you can't touch anything, and this is for you too, Miss Swan." 

"You will really let me go with you guys?" Henry's eyes widened in excitement. 

"Since we don't know with who we are dealing and of what this person is capable, I think it's best if you stay with us." 

Henry nodded and soon the trio was heading to Regina's vault, using a secret passage in the mansion.

Emma and Henry looked around in awe, absorbing every detail in their path. The passage was illuminated by enchanted torches along the walls and there were a few statues of knights and other things they didn't know. Emma almost felt in one of the sceneries of Game of Thrones as they walked through the underground of the city to arrive at the vault.

When they reached the vault, Regina entered first, a fireball ready in her hand just in case, but the place was empty, just like she had left it the other day. "Henry, you sit here and for what is most sacred to you, do not touch anything. This is very important, darling." 

"Okay, mom." He looked around slowly. It was the first time he was there and didn't need to sneak around. 

"Miss Swan," Regina said firmly, seeing the blonde looking around curiously, her hand already itching to touch anything in front of her. "The 'don't touch anything' rule is for you too. God knows what could happen if you touch something and it reacts to your magic." 

"But it's your vault, I thought you knew how to use everything here."

"Do you think I’m thousands of years like Rumpelstiltskin?" Regina put her hands on her hips and stared at the blonde, daring her to say anything. 

"Of course not," Emma smiled. "But you're certainly hot as fu-"

Before Emma could finish, Regina covered Emma's mouth with her hand to prevent her from saying something so crude in front of Henry. She felt her cheeks burning and scolded herself for it. "Why do you have to be so-" 

"Hot? Funny? Smart?" 

"Crude." Regina hissed, releasing the blonde. 

Henry watched his mothers with renewed interest and curiosity. He had never seen this side of Regina; spontaneous, lighter. He decided that he liked the effect Emma had on his mother and would do anything to keep the blonde around. Despite the tension with recent events, Regina seemed more relaxed in Emma's presence.

"I meant it, Emma, don't touch anything."

"Okay, okay." The blonde lifted her hands in surrender and took a sit besides Henry. "I'll be a good girl."

Regina's eyes widened at Emma's choice of words and she felt heat spread through her body. Her pupils dilated and she licked her lips unconsciously. 

Emma stared at Regina and bit her lip while all the blood from her body seemed to rush to her core and she felt her panties getting wetter. She shifted uncomfortably in the bench while inappropriate images filled her mind. 

"Moms?" Henry's voice broke their moment and both women looked at him slightly startled. He pointed to Emma's hands and both women realized little sparkles in the tip of her fingers. "What is this?"

"This is magic, Henry." Regina shook her head to clear her thoughts. "Magic is usually emotion, that's how you control your powers, your magic. It can be good or bad emotions." She turned and started looking around to find the spell book she needed. "The stronger your emotions are, the stronger your magic will be."

"Oh." Emma and Henry said at the same time. 

Mother and son watched with rapt attention while Regina worked in the protection spell, and Emma couldn't stop thinking about everything that happened since she arrived at the mansion last night. So much had changed in so little time. Her feelings were a complete mess and her emotions were on edge. She needed to find out who had killed Archie and was trying to frame Regina. She needed to figure out what her feelings towards the brunette were and if there was any chance of them being reciprocated, because if they weren't she would need to find a way to live with them in silence. She shook her head, trying to push those thoughts away and focus on what Regina was doing instead. 

After a few moments Regina located the spell she was looking for and motioned to Emma to come closer. She had written the spell for Emma and explained how the blonde would have to say the right words, time, and intonation for the spell to work properly. "Remember, Emma, magic is emotion."

The blonde took the spell and waited for Regina to sit next to Henry and then began to do as the brunette had said, concentrating to perform the spell correctly while focusing on what she wanted; Regina and Henry’s protection. She felt that tingle in her body again and tried to not think about it now. While she was chanting the words Emma saw yellow sparks in the tip of her fingers and smiled. After a few moments the spell was done.

“Excellent, Emma.” Regina smiled at her. “You are a natural, but you will need some practice. We don’t want any accidents happening, do we?” 

“No,” Emma gave the book back to Regina. “After I solve this maybe we can have a few lessons.” 

“Of course, Emma.” 

“Now, since you guys are safe, I’ll head to Archie’s office again and see if I can find anything.” 

“Okay, be careful, Emma.” Regina said softly, squeezing the blonde’s arm slightly. “If you want, come to the mansion after you finish there.”

“Yes, Emma!” Henry stood up excitedly. “Come home.” 

Emma alternated her gaze between Regina and Henry, searching any rejection in the brunette’s face, but didn’t find anything.  _ Home _ , the word lost and foreign in her head but so right in her heart. She felt safe whenever she was with Regina and Henry, she felt complete. “Okay, I’ll see you guys later.” She kissed the top of Henry’s head and without realizing what she was doing, kissed Regina’s cheek. 

Regina’s eyes widened and Emma finally realized what she had done. 

“I-” 

“We’ll see you later, Emma.” Regina said softly. She saw the fear of rejection in the blonde’s eyes and felt the need to reassure the woman, letting her know that despite being something unexpected, it wasn’t unwelcomed. 

Emma nodded and turned, leaving mother and son in the vault. She headed to Archie’s office and worked all day trying to find undisputable proof to clear Regina. When the night came she still hadn’t found anything and was losing her hope. How could she prove Regina’s innocence? She looked around trying to find  _ anything _ but nothing seemed out of place. Her phone ringing pulled her out of her thoughts and she smiled seeing Regina’s name flashing in her screen. “Hi,” She said softly.

_ “Emma, it’s late, come home and leave this for tomorrow.”  _

“But-” 

_ “We will find the person who did this to Archie but we can’t do this if you don’t rest.” _

“I suppose you’re right.” The blonde sighed and looked around once more. “See you soon.” Emma hang up and closed the office, putting the yellow police tape across the door. She cursed when she reached the street and realized she would have to walk all the way to Regina’s house, but maybe the night walk would do her some good.

(...)

A few days had passed since Archie’s death and Emma was getting restless for not finding anything to help clear Regina. She had searched the man’s office so many times that she already knew the place like the palm of her hand. Every night she would go back to Regina’s home and stay up late with her trying to find something, but it was all in vain so far. 

Regina was doing her best to not let Emma notice how all this was hurting her and making her upset but the blonde knew her better, and yet Regina was doing her best to take care of her and Henry. Emma sighed, and stood up. She wanted to do something to Regina, to make her feel a little better, to show her that she was appreciated and that Emma was grateful for everything she was doing for her in the last few days. She loved how they had become closer, sharing secrets and memories at night after putting Henry to sleep and how they had fallen in a routine she never thought possible. Suddenly Emma had an idea and knew exactly what to do to make Regina feel better. 

Emma checked Regina to make sure the brunette was still asleep and went downstairs. She walked to the kitchen and started separating the ingredients she would need. Emma bit her lip and concentrated in a spell she had learned earlier that day; a silencing spell. She smiled proudly when the kitchen glowed indicating she had succeeded in casting it and could finally make her surprise to Regina. She reached her phone and searched for the recipe she would need and soon started to make the dough. It didn’t take long for her to finish and Emma put it on the oven. While she waited she started thinking about the case again and something hit her. How had she not thought of that before? Street cameras! During the curse she had convinced Regina to install some street cameras for everyone’s safety. She could barely contain her excitement at the thought of finally catching the person behind Archie’s death. 

The timer above the stove rang taking Emma out of her thoughts and she took her creation out of the oven and let it cool. Meanwhile she separated the things she would need for the special touch. 

She prepared them breakfast and lifted the silencing spell when the sun began to rise. It didn’t take long for Regina to appear in the kitchen with a surprised and confused expression. 

“What happened? Was there a bug in your bed?”

“I couldn’t sleep so I went down to prepare breakfast.” 

“I'm amazed you did not set the house on fire.” Regina chuckled. 

“I know how to cook, Your Majesty.” Emma grinned teasingly. 

“We’ll see about that, Sheriff.” Regina tried to hide how the blonde’s words had affected her, sending shivers down her spine and heat to her core. 

When Regina reached for the coffee, Emma stopped her gently. “Try this first.” She held a cupcake in her hand but despite her smile, she was feeling very nervous now. 

Regina arched an eyebrow but her eyes were soft. She could feel the insecurity coming in waves from the blonde and knew that this was important to her. She accepted the cupcake and took a small bite, the taste flooding her mouth and surprising her. “You made this?”

“Yes.” Emma smiled sheepishly.

“It’s delicious, Emma.” 

“Yeah?” 

“Yes, dear.” Regina smiled softly and took another bite, bigger this time. “When did you do this?”

“A few hours ago,” Emma shrugged. “I couldn’t sleep.”

“And how come I did not wake up to the noise of the mixer?”

“I cast a silencing spell,” Emma said proudly. 

“You did?” 

“Yes.” 

“Well, seems like you are a fast learner.” Regina smiled proudly at the blonde. 

“And maybe I have found a way to clear you.” Emma bit her lip.

“How?” 

“Remember when I insisted that you install those security cameras through Storybrooke streets?” Emma’s eyes shone in excitement. “With some luck we can catch the person in one of them.” 

“That’s- that’s amazing, Emma!” 

“I’ll look through the footage today and see what I can find.” 

“Maybe I can help you.” Regina offered. “Four eyes are better than two.” 

“That would be nice.” 

“So it's settled, after Henry leaves for school we'll watch the tapes to see if we can find anything.” Regina felt confident for the first time in days. She reached for another cupcake and sat next to Emma, enjoying the sweet taste in her mouth.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
